Press Release
Marly, Switzerland, 31 March – Seprify, the Swiss developer of high-performance cellulose-based materials, and BIOGRUND, a long-established specialist in ready-made coating systems widely used by pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals worldwide, today announced the introduction of a mineral-free tablet coating solution for the nutraceutical market.
The new ready-made coating systems integrate Seprify’s plant-based cellulose ingredient SilvaAlba™, enabling manufacturers to achieve the bright white appearance and processing stability traditionally provided by titanium dioxide (E171) or calcium carbonate (E170) while supporting clean-label formulation strategies.
The launch follows Seprify’s recent €13.4 Million Series A funding and comes as the nutraceutical industry accelerates the search for credible alternatives to TiO₂ (E171) following the EU’s 2022 ban on the substance as a food additive, alongside growing consumer demand for simpler, more transparent ingredient lists.
SilvaAlba™ brings several advantages to nutraceutical tablet coating systems. Derived from renewable cellulose, the plant-based ingredient delivers strong whitening performance while supporting simplified formulations with fewer ingredients. Compared with commonly used mineral alternatives such as calcium carbonate, it offers improved pH stability, helping maintain coating performance across typical nutraceutical processing conditions.
As a form of microcrystalline cellulose, the ingredient also provides regulatory familiarity for manufacturers and formulators, while Seprify’s scalable production approach ensures reliable supply as demand for TiO₂ alternatives grows. Together, these properties enable coating systems to deliver the appearance, processing reliability, and formulation simplicity required by nutraceutical manufacturers.
Developing a credible alternative to titanium dioxide requires more than replacing a pigment. The material must integrate into real manufacturing systems while maintaining optical performance and regulatory clarity,”
Lukas Schertel, CEO and co-founder of Seprify.
“With SilvaAlba™, we engineered a cellulose structure that provides efficient light scattering from a renewable feedstock. Working with BIOGRUND allows this material innovation to be translated into ready-to-use coating systems that nutraceutical manufacturers can test and deploy today.”
BIOGRUND’s coating systems are widely used by pharmaceutical and nutraceutical manufacturers to simplify tablet coating formulation and production through ready-to-use premixes. The company works closely with formulators and contract manufacturers across the industry, enabling new coating technologies to be rapidly evaluated and adopted at commercial scale. By incorporating SilvaAlba™ into its coating technology, BIOGRUND enables customers to transition toward mineral-free coatings while maintaining process efficiency and consistent product appearance.
“Our customers are increasingly seeking coating systems that align with clean-label expectations while remaining robust in industrial manufacturing processes,”
Mahmud Yunis, Technical Director at BIOGRUND.
“Integrating SilvaAlba™ into our ready-made coating formulations allows us to provide a plant-based whitening solution that combines optical performance with formulation simplicity. This helps nutraceutical manufacturers move toward mineral-free products with confidence.”
Continue reading here
Source: Biogrund, website Seprify – Cellulose based functional material solutions
